All Outdoor Coal, Corn & Wood Furnace Installations and Operations must follow Federal, Provincial, State, and Local Codes for wiring, plumbing & installing chimney. All work must be performed by qualified personal only.
1. Inspect the ground conditions that you intend to install your outdoor coal, corn & wood furnace on. If the area is unstable or has a history of staying wet, you may have to improve the soil with gravel as well as raising the elevation. A cement pad of 4" - 6" inches should then be used. The outdoor furnace in most cases can be placed on four cement blocks and they should not be less than 24" inches wide, 24" inches long, 3" inches thick. Obtain the footprint of the model of outdoor furnace you have purchased. Place your blocks so that the legs will be in the center of them. For a pad, the width need not be greater that the outside width of furnace. The length of pad should be as long as the outside length dimension and an added length is desirable as a work area at the loading door. A four-foot extension is most commonly used.
2. Select a tubing product of at least one inch inside dimension, which is rated at 180° degrees F 100 PSI continuous flow. Plan to have no joints, couplings, unions, etc. joining the tube between the building being heated and the outdoor coal, corn & wood furnace. The chance for a leak is too great. The pipe should have a construction of polyethylene and an oxygen barrier. Also, mark your feed and return lines prior to covering and allow enough pipe above ground at both ends for a relaxed connection.
3. The furnace supply and return tubing needs to be insulated to prevent heat loss. It is recommended that at least 1/2" inch of insulating material be used. Both the return and supply pipes can be insulated together so that the temperature drop is minimized.
4. All wiring must conform to local codes. Use an electrical wire rated and approved for underground installations. This wiring can be placed in the same trench below the water lines. Use 12-2 UF wire with ground to provide power to the draft inducer blower, aqua stat, night light, etc. at the outdoor furnace. This is satisfactory for most applications but a state certified electrician must be consulted.
5. There are some products that incorporate the supply and return pipe, insulation, and moisture shield into one product. This is fine, but do not select solid black drain tile, it will eventually crack causing moisture to seep through the insulated pipe and heat loss into the ground. The critical issue is to keep the insulated pipes from coming into contact with the soil, ground water, etc. We recommend using Insul-Seal, which is available in 3" and 4" inches. This product is water tight and resists heat loss.
6. The trench must be 24" deep and 8" - 12" inches wide. If possible have a gradual slope in your trench to allow drainage away from lines and out of the trench bottom. Place electrical supply in bottom of trench and cover with 6" inches of gravel or dirt. At this point a water barrier is required. Several methods are possible, but the most important factor is; if ground water comes in contact with your heating lines, it will be the greatest heat loss to your system. A minimum of R10 insulation value is recommended, and a water-tight vapor barrier such as a continuous poly tube of plastic PVC pipe to encase your insulation is a must. NOTE: If you need to bury lines under an area where vehicles will cross, you should increase the depth of trench to three feet or place planks over the trench in that area to spread the load and reduce the pressure generated on the lines.
7. The furnace supply and return tubing, and the power wire, can be lowered in the trench, brought through the buildings being heated, and extended a minimum of 36" inches out of the soil where the stove is to be placed. Seal the openings around the tubing where it enters the building and seal the tubing where it extends out of the ground at the location where the stove is to be placed.
8. Connections to the outdoor coal, corn & wood furnace are clearly marked. The installation of isolation valves at both ends of the pump is recommended as well as a valve at the return line. This will allow you to shut off water supply for repair or if additional heating components are added to the system. It is recommended that piping used is able to withstand 100 PSI at 180° degrees F, and is at least 1" inch in diameter. 1 1/4" Inch piping is recommended for larger systems. A single junction box at the rear of the outdoor furnace is included for your power supply, and should be connected by a qualified person.
9. A hole, large enough to accommodate two lines and insulation, is required and attention to sealing this point of entry is very important. Be sure to bring pipes, insulation and vapor barrier completely through wall and seal from both sides.
10. You will require either water-to-water heat exchanger (tube and shell or plate) or water-to-air heat exchanger (rad) to transfer or extract heat energy from the hot water your outdoor coal, corn & wood furnace has produced. Your local authorized dealer or certified plumber can design and install a system to best suit your requirements.
11. The Class A stainless steel chimney pipe comes in various lengths, spanning from 18" inches to 48" inches. Install each section of piping by placing male and female sections together then twisting them to lock sections together. When installing your chimney piping, it is recommended by the chimney manufacture that it must be laterally braced every 8' feet. It is also recommended by the chimney manufacture that the height of the piping does not exceed a total of 40' feet. If additional height is needed, contact your local dealer.